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Eric Packer, the icily charismatic asset manager played by Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis, does a great many interesting things in a single, fateful day. In his white stretch limousine, he attempts to traverse Manhattan in gridlock traffic amid violent Occupy-like protests, and all in search of a haircut. He forfeits hundreds of millions of dollars in a suicidal currency-speculation bid. He enjoys afternoon sex with a comely security specialist wearing a body-armor vest with a stun gun on hand. He also has sex with Juliette Binoche. He also endures a weirdly erotic prostate exam while staring into the eyes of a sweaty associate. He gets a pie in the face from a “pastry assassin” who travels with a crew of paparazzi. He is stalked by an actual would-be assassin as well.
So much to talk about! But overshadowing Pattinson’s press tour for Cosmopolis—directed by the great David Cronenberg and adapted from Don DeLillo’s 2003 novel—is the recent tabloid frenzy surrounding his breakup with Twilight costar Kristen Stewart. (The final film in the Twilight franchise is out in November.) TIME sat down with Cronenberg and Pattinson—fresh-faced, sweet, totally affable, smoking an electronic cigarette— in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood the day after the New York City premiere of Cosmopolis. We mostly stayed on topic, if occasionally tiptoeing awkwardly around the heartbroken vampire-elephant in the room.
TIME: Cosmopolis was published in the first year of the war in Iraq, and in a wave of novels that were all described as being “post–Sept. 11” in one way or other, but now the story maps on remarkably well to Occupy Wall Street and other protest movements around the world in 2011. David, at what point did you encounter the book, and when did you know it was a movie?
David Cronenberg: It was about three years ago, and the attraction wasn’t that the novel was prescient or because of its historical place. It was the characters, the dialogue, the intensity, the humor—it’s constantly funny. I wasn’t looking to make any kind of statement. Inevitably, though, if you’re making something with integrity, it will say something about the time it’s being made in. When the novel came out, people were saying, “All this demonstrating-on-Wall-Street stuff isn’t very convincing.” Now it’s obvious.
Robert, DeLillo’s dialogue is hyper-stylized, very formal, and often steeped in theory. How did you approach it?
Robert Pattinson: The first thing I connected to was the humor. Everything else seemed kind of arbitrary. I liked that it was absurd and unrelatable in a lot of ways. I thought that Eric doesn’t understand himself, so that was my angle—play the part as if you don’t understand the part. [Cronenberg laughs merrily] Try to remain lost. I noticed that every single time I came into a scene with an idea or an angle about how to do it, it would feel wrong, and David would know it was wrong. When I was kind of somewhere else, not thinking at all—that was when it felt right.
What’s relatable about Eric might be that his world is so mediated by technology—he experiences the world at a remove, through screens, and so he’s struggling to feel something, whether it’s through sex or shooting a gun or gambling away his fortune. Do you think people can relate to that kind of alienation and wanting something real?
DC: One of the investors in the movie is a genuine French billionaire named Edouard Carmignac. He’s known as the French Warren Buffett. He wanted to be involved with this movie because he said it was absolutely accurate. He knows many people who are like this character, who have created this strange bubble that they live in. Within that bubble, they’re very alive and in control, and yet they’re completely disconnected from normal humanity, normal relationships. So Eric Packer says things to his wife like, “This is how people talk, right?” He’s trying it out, because he really doesn’t know. He’s dealing with billions of dollars, but he’s never actually touching real money and he doesn’t know how to actually pay for things. Of course, Carmignac doesn’t think of himself as that person, but he recognizes it completely. So I take him at his word that it’s not such a stretch. People create a limo for themselves, a little spaceship, a little bell jar in which they insulate themselves from things that hurt.
RP: I think Eric is confused between genuine power and ego. He’s mixing the two up. I think a lot of people in that job find that empathy is a weakness, so he realizes that it’s a strength. I’ve read things that describe Eric as a monster, but I always thought the story was a hopeful progression. His biggest problem is that he’s totally self-obsessed. But he’s taking baby steps toward coming to terms with it. He’s had an extended adolescence in a lot of ways, and he’s really smart—he’s a savant. Some people are so entrenched in what they think they are, and he realizes that the only shock that can snap him out of himself is that someone is going to kill him.
Do you also see Cosmopolis as a story about fame? Eric is in a bubble, people he doesn’t know know him, they spin narratives in their head about him, and—
DC: No, I don’t think so. It’s like the London whale—nobody knows what that guy looks like, nobody knows where he lives. That’s his strength as a trader: nobody can predict him, nobody understands him. I think Eric is like that. On the outside, his limo looks like everyone else’s. He just got this one guy who wants to “pie” him, who’s got the paparazzi with him. But Eric can have dinner and no one’s around, he can go to the diner with his wife and nobody bothers him. He’s got the one security guy but that’s it. He doesn’t have fans.
Just days before "Cosmopolis" opens in limited release, star Robert Pattinson has joined the cast of Werner Herzog's indie "Queen of the Desert," which will star Naomi Watts as English writer Gertrude Bell.
Pic will chronicle Bell's life as a writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer and political attache for the British Empire. One of the first women to graduate from Oxford at the turn of the 20th century, she traveled through the Middle East, defining the borders of Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Pattinson is attached to play T.E. Lawrence, a British Army officer whose writing earned him international fame as Lawrence of Arabia, on whom David Lean's classic 1962 epic is based. Lawrence was a good friend to Bell over the years, as the duo helped establish the Hashemite dynasties in Jordan and Iraq.
Cassian Elwes and Nick Raslan (Herzog's "Rescue Dawn") are producing the pic, which is aiming to start production in late fall.
Outside of the "Twilight" franchise that catapulted him to fame, Pattinson has avoided blockbusters to work on challenging indie projects with acclaimed directors. After wrapping Francis Lawrence's adaptation of "Water for Elephants" and the lusty period pic "Bel Ami," Pattinson chose to work with David Cronenberg on "Cosmopolis," which opens Friday. Thesp is set to star opposite Guy Pearce in David Michod's Aussie drama "The Rover," as well as the indie thriller "Mission: Blacklist," which chronicles the hunt for Saddam Hussein.
Pattinson is repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, Curtis Brown Group and attorney Robert Offer.
Robert Pattinson is attached to play Lawrence of Arabia in Queen of the Desert, Werner Herzog’s biopic of Gertrude Bell.
Naomi Watts is starring as Bell described as the female Lawrence of Arabia for the impact the English woman had in the Middle East and her work in establishing what would become the modern framework for Jordan and Iraq. She was an explorer, writer, archeologist and political attache and during World War I, worked for British Intelligence.
Pattinson will play T.E. Lawrence, the archeologist-turned-British Army officer who played key roles in Middle Eastern revolutions in the same time period and became close friends with Bell. Peter O'Toole portrayed the explorer in the 1962 classic.
Herzog wrote the screenplay. Nick Raslan is producing with Cassian Elwes.
A fall shoot in Jordan and England is being eyed.
The move keeps Pattinson firmly in the world of independent film. One of the world’s most recognizable stars, the actor is this week promoting Cosmopolis, his drama directed by David Cronenberg. He is set to star with Guy Pearce in the post-apocalyptic indie The Rover as well as Mission: Blacklist, an indie thriller about Saddam Hussein’s capture.
The 26-year-old actor swiftly walked the red carpet, guided by two publicists who only allowed two questions per reporter. Upon the British native's arrival to the premiere, fans from around the world crowded the sidewalk with just the hope of getting a glimpse of the star. Pattinson joked about how he felt about the self-proclaimed "Rod-ssesed" fans waiting for his arrival. "Fear, absolute terror," he said with a smile. "It's great - I didn't expect it from the first 'Twilight' movie, I never expected my life to be like this and so it's kind of weird to have lasted. And for people to come to movies that I'm really like proud of and I didn't really think anyone's going to see, I mean it's like, it's kind of amazing," he added. In "Cosmopolis" Pattinson plays a ruthless billionaire on a journey to self-destruction, which is a departure from his "Twilight" character, Edward.
Pattinson said the role just sort of fell into his lap. "I read the script about a year before and then I got sent it again - just a straight offer and it's with Cronenberg, so I was like (looks amazed). And the only thing, I was scared to do it I thought I wasn't going to be good enough so like," Pattinson told Reuters. Director David Cronenberg said he had no doubts about Pattinson's ability to adapt into a New Yorker for the film. "Cosmopolis" will premiere in New York and Los Angeles on August 17th and nationwide on August 25th.
It’s been — let’s just say —an eventful couple of weeks for Team Twilight. Bella and Edward may find eternal, immortal bliss in Breaking Dawn — Part 2 (out Nov. 16), but costars and (only recently confirmed) couple Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are having a much harder time since incriminating photographs of Stewart and her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, surfaced late last month. “The fact is, these are actors playing parts, and maybe it’s not such a bad thing that people be reminded of that,” Bill Condon tells EW. “Both of these actors gave heart and soul to the Twilight movies, not only during shooting, but also by navigating so graciously the whole life-in-a-fishbowl aspect of the phenomenon. Above all they have always shown great respect for the fans who made these movies such a success. Now it’s time that some of that respect be returned to them.”
But beyond the intense media and public scrutiny into these young actors’ private lives, the turn of events also creates a real challenge for Summit, the studio releasing the film, as it gears up to promote the final installment. In other words: what happens during an international press tour and red carpet premiere when the two top-billed stars may or may not be speaking to each other? Nancy Kirkpatrick, the company’s head of worldwide marketing, tells EW, “While it is studio policy not to comment on the personal lives of actors, Summit is moving full steam ahead.”
In more innocent times (read: a month ago), the Twilight stars sat down for a roundtable interview and talked about the film, the ending of the series, and what they’ve learned from the Twilight experience. Pattinson marvels at Edward’s unflappable ability to stay rational. “It’s strange,” he says with a laugh. “All through the series it’s like, ‘Hey , this guy is trying to be sensible! Let’s think this thing out.’ And everyone is like ‘F— you’”.
Stewart presses him, curious to know what he learned from playing the role. ”Don’t be pragmatic. Be an emotional idiot.”
Of course Breaking Dawn—Part 2 is just one of the season’s anticipated films. Our annual Fall Movie Preview delves into 97 more.
Robert Pattinson will appear on “The Daily Show” on Monday, August 13, Gossip Cop has learned.
He’ll then be seen next on Wednesday’s “Good Morning America.”
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Thank you for purchasing a ticket(s) to the August 15 TimesTalks with David Cronenberg and Robert Pattinson. At this time, we would like to remind you of our standard event policies:
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